Best Seafood Restaurants in Alexandria: Where Locals Actually Eat
Why Alexandria's Seafood Scene Is Worth the Trip
Cairo gets the headlines, but when Egyptians want seafood, they head to Alexandria. The city has been a fishing port for over two thousand years, and that's not just history — it's still how a lot of the city eats. Walk along the Corniche any morning and you'll see the day's catch coming in: sea bass, red mullet, grouper, shrimp the size of your fist, crab, squid, and cuttlefish. The restaurants on this list buy from those same boats.
What makes eating seafood in Alexandria different from, say, a coastal town in Greece or Italy is the style. Egyptian seafood restaurants generally let you pick your fish from a chilled display, then grill or fry it whole. There's batter, there's rice, there are salads and tahini and warm bread. It's casual and communal in a way that feels very specific to this part of the Mediterranean.
A quick note on timing: most of these places get packed on weekends and in the evening. If you want a quiet lunch with a view, go early — around noon on a weekday is the sweet spot for almost everywhere on this list.
Balbaa Village
If you ask an Alexandrian where to eat fish, there's a decent chance they'll say Balbaa. The place has been around for decades and it's enormous — multiple dining areas, outdoor seating, a constant buzz of families and large groups. It's not fancy, and that's the point.
You walk in, sit down, and they bring you a basket of fresh bread with a spread of salads — tahini, baba ghanoush, pickled vegetables. Then you order. The grilled sea bass is the safe bet, but the fried shrimp plate and the rice tagine with seafood are what people keep coming back for. The fish arrives whole, scored, and charred on a grill. It's simple, it's hot, and it works.
Prices sit in the mid-range — a full meal for two with fish, salads, and drinks lands somewhere around 600–900 EGP depending on what you order. Service can be rushed when it's busy, which is most of the time, but the food comes out fast and it's consistent.
Branzino
Branzino is on the other end of the spectrum. This is the place you go when someone's birthday is coming up or you want to impress a date. It sits along the Corniche with a direct view of the Mediterranean, and the interior is all clean lines, white tablecloths, and that understated Mediterranean luxury.
The menu leans toward Italian-Mediterranean preparations — think grilled branzino (the fish the restaurant is named after), lobster pasta, shrimp in garlic butter, and a fish soup that several reviewers have called the best in the city. The seafood is fresh, the plating is careful, and the service is noticeably more attentive than what you'll find at the casual spots.
You're paying for the setting as much as the food. A meal for two here typically runs 1,500–2,500 EGP. It's not cheap by Egyptian standards, but for a special-occasion dinner with the sea glinting through the window, it delivers. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.
Fish Market Marina
The concept is straightforward: there's a long counter of iced-down fish, you point at what looks good, they weigh it, and then they cook it however you want. Fish Market Marina has been doing this for years right on the waterfront, and it remains one of the most popular seafood experiences in Alexandria for both locals and visitors.
The jumbo shrimp in butter is the dish that comes up again and again in reviews — plump, sweet, and swimming in a garlicky sauce that you'll want extra bread for. The grilled sea bream and the fried calamari are also reliable. The outdoor seating area overlooks the marina, which makes the whole thing feel like it should cost more than it does.
A meal for two runs roughly 800–1,200 EGP. The catch is that it gets very busy, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings, and the service can feel hurried. Go for a late lunch instead of dinner if you want a more relaxed pace.
Seagull
Seagull has the kind of status in Alexandria that certain restaurants have in any food-obsessed city — everyone has been there, everyone has an opinion, and it's been that way for a long time. It's a family-oriented spot with a large dining area, live music on weekends, and a kids' corner that keeps children occupied while the adults eat.
The menu covers seafood, Mediterranean, and Egyptian dishes. The grilled shrimp and the fried fish platters are the crowd-pleasers. Nothing on the menu is going to reinvent your understanding of cuisine, but the seafood is fresh, the portions are generous, and the atmosphere is lively in a way that works well for groups and families.
It's moderately priced — expect to spend around 500–800 EGP per person for a full meal with appetizers. Seagull isn't the place for a quiet romantic dinner, but if you're travelling with family or a group of friends and want a dependable seafood feast with some entertainment thrown in, it does the job.
Santorini Greek Restaurant
Located inside the Hilton Alexandria Corniche, Santorini brings a Greek approach to seafood — lighter, herb-forward, with an emphasis on grilled fish and meze-style small plates. It's a departure from the heavy, rice-and-tahini Egyptian style, and that's exactly why people like it.
The seafood skewers (souvlaki) are excellent — chunks of fish and shrimp charred and served with a bright lemon-herb sauce. The grilled octopus appetizer and the whole sea bass are other strong picks. The restaurant has a clean, modern feel with a terrace that looks out over the water.
This is hotel-restaurant pricing, so budget around 1,200–1,800 EGP for two. It's a good option if you're staying at the Hilton or if you want a sit-down meal that feels a bit more refined without going full fine-dining. Call ahead for a terrace table — those go first.
Seaside
Seaside does what the name suggests — it sits right by the water, and the main draw is the view of the Qaitbay Citadel across the harbour. Come here around sunset and the whole scene — fortress, fishing boats, the light going copper over the water — is genuinely beautiful. The food is a modern take on Egyptian seafood, with some dishes you won't find at the traditional spots.
The seafood tagine, the grilled lobster, and the shrimp pasta are the standouts. Portions are decent, the fish is fresh, and the presentation is a step up from what you get at the classic fish-and-rice places. Reviews on the food are mixed — some people love it, others find it average for the price. But nearly everyone agrees the location is hard to beat.
Budget 900–1,400 EGP for two. It gets extremely crowded in the evening, and noise levels can get high. If you want the view without the chaos, aim for an early weekday dinner.
White and Blue Restaurant (The Greek Club)
This one has history. The Greek Club of Alexandria has been operating for over a century, and the White and Blue Restaurant on its second floor is one of the city's most storied seafood rooms. The interior is classic Greek-Alexandrian — white walls, blue accents, old photographs on the walls — and the terrace overlooks the port on one side and the Qaitbay Citadel on the other.
The tarama (fish roe spread) and the pickled herring are the must-order starters — they arrive with warm, fresh bread and they're the kind of thing people drive across Cairo just to eat. For the main course, you check the daily seafood display and pick what's fresh. The grilled fish and the seafood pasta casserole are the reliable choices.
It's a fine-dining experience, so expect to pay 1,000–1,600 EGP for two. The only real frustration is parking — the Greek Club shares a small lot with the Qaitbay Citadel, and spaces disappear fast, especially at lunch. Reserve if you can, and arrive a few minutes early to deal with the parking situation.
Zephyrion
Zephyrion means "sea breeze" in Greek, and that's exactly what you get. This restaurant sits on the coast of Aboukir Bay, about 20 minutes east of central Alexandria, and it's been serving fresh seafood since 1929. The blue-and-white terrace hangs right over the water, and on a clear day the view stretches all the way to the horizon.
The seafood display is extensive — multiple types of fish, shrimp, crab, calamari — and everything is prepared simply: grilled, fried, or baked. The grilled sea bass and the shrimp with garlic are the go-to orders. Regulars will tell you the fish here is some of the freshest in Alexandria because of how close it is to the fishing boats that work Aboukir Bay.
The drive from the centre is the main drawback. It's not close to any of the major tourist sites, so you're making a dedicated trip. But if you have a car or don't mind the taxi ride, the combination of the food, the terrace, and the setting makes it worth the effort. A meal for two runs 700–1,100 EGP. Go early on weekends — it fills up and they don't always take reservations.
Quick Comparison
|
Restaurant |
Style |
Price for Two (EGP) |
Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balbaa Village | Casual, local | 600–900 | Families, groups, no-fuss grilled fish |
| Branzino | Fine dining | 1,500–2,500 | Special occasions, sea views |
| Fish Market Marina | Pick-your-fish | 800–1,200 | Fresh seafood, marina views |
| Seagull | Family, lively | 500–800 (per person) | Groups, kids, live music |
| Santorini | Greek-Mediterranean | 1,200–1,800 | Lighter flavours, hotel guests |
| Seaside | Modern, scenic | 900–1,400 | Sunset views, Qaitbay Citadel |
| White and Blue | Historic, fine dining | 1,000–1,600 | Tarama, herring, port views |
| Zephyrion | Coastal, traditional | 700–1,100 | Sea breeze, fresh-off-the-boat fish |
Practical Tips
A quick note on prices: the EGP figures mentioned in this article are approximate and can change. Menu prices in Egypt have been adjusting frequently, so it's always a good idea to check the current prices before you go.
Most seafood restaurants in Alexandria are busiest on Thursday and Friday evenings. If you want a table with a view, aim for lunch on a weekday — you'll often get the best seats without waiting.
Cash is accepted everywhere, but some of the upscale spots (Branzino, Santorini, White and Blue) prefer card payments. It's worth having both on hand.
If you're coming from Cairo for the day, the waterfront restaurants along the Corniche — Branzino, Seaside, Fish Market Marina, and White and Blue — are all within a short drive of each other and the main attractions like the Qaitbay Citadel and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. You could easily visit a couple of sights in the morning, have a long seafood lunch, and head back in the afternoon. Check our how to get from Cairo to Alexandria guide for transport details.
